Topps Private Hire has taken delivery the first of eight new Lexus ES hybrids to its fleet of prestige vehicles for its premium service.

Chauffeur cars are a key part of its business, providing services to both private and corporate customers for air and seaport transfers and destinations across the country.

Kelvin Tompkins, managing director of Topps, said: “We have always chosen luxury German cars up until now, but we have been very impressed not just with the ES but also with the all-round support and service provided by Lexus.

“It has been a very positive start to our move to Lexus hybrids, which should deliver the comfort and luxury our customers require, together with competitive running costs and reliability that are essential to us as a business.”

Topps has chosen the ES Premium Pack model for its fleet, supplied through Lexus Leicester. The ES, a four-door saloon, was only introduced to the UK market earlier this year, but it has quickly proved popular with customers, it says.

The Premium Pack version comes with an electric rear screen sunshade, seats are upholstered in leather, with 10-way power adjustment, heating and ventilation for those in the front. The driver benefits from a heated steering wheel and automatic movement of the seat and steering wheel when entering and leaving the vehicle.

The specification also includes Lexus navigation and a 10-speaker Pioneer sound system. In addition to the preventive safety functions of Lexus Safety System+, the Premium Pack model also provides a blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert with an auto brake.

Stuart Ferma, general manager Toyota and Lexus Fleet Operations, said: “Topps is the kind of business where you simply can’t cut corners on quality, or risk your vehicles being off the road because of reliability issues. Their investment in the new ES for their fleet is a signal of trust in the Lexus brand and a valuable vote of confidence in our self-charging hybrid technology.”

To read our review of the Lexus ES, click here.

Photo caption: Kelvin Tompkins, managing director of Topps, receives the Lexus ES models from Collette Harris, Toyota and Lexus Fleet Services, and Steve Holler, corporate sales Lexus Leicester.